


I'm fine. (You're bleeding all over the place, Scott.)

by Hoehoehoelt



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst, Gen, Help, Hurt Scott, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Snow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 12:34:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13294986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hoehoehoelt/pseuds/Hoehoehoelt
Summary: Scott and co fall off a mountain, the nomad crashes, Scott is on borrowed time, and they have no way to contact the Tempest."Ryder, I detect a large wound on your body. If it is not tended to soon, you will die.""Yeah no SHIT SAM."(Author's note: ...So...I'm bad at driving...My companions will agree...Instead of driving down a path like a normal person, I plummet off of a cliff because honestly??? Who has the time lmao. Please enjoy!)





	1. Chapter 1

"Ryder, I swear to got if we fall off this mountain, I'm writing 'Cause of death: Shitty driving'."

 

Scott couldn't help but laugh at Liam's fear induced threat, although he couldn't blame him for it either. Scott's reputation for driving wasn't...The best...He could always see the dread in his companions eyes whenever they had to get in the Nomad with him. He could let them drive, but he was too scared to. Not because he didn't trust them, but because if anything happened to them...He'd rather it be his fault. Hopefully though, nothing would.

 

Peebee leaned forward from her place in the backseat of the Nomad, and tried to get a better look out of the window. It was hard though, since she wasn't as close to them as she'd like to be. You see, Scott had this policy. No one really understood it, but everyone respected it nonetheless. The policy that no one else but him could sit in the front seat. When asked, he would just shrug it off and make a joke. Peebee personally thought the scar on his head might have something to do with it. Maybe it's just an ingrained fear. Maybe he thought they were safer in the back.

 

The Nomad seemed to skid suddenly, and everyone held their breath as Scott tried to put them on the path properly again. Once he had, he braced himself for an onslaught of "BE MORE CAREFUL". It was something he heard frequently.

 

Like he predicted, Peebee and Liam said it in unison, then just kinda stared at each other before starting to laugh. Their laughter was cut short though when they suddenly skidded again. This time, Liam brought it up.

 

"Dude, slow down. You're going to run us off the mountain."

 

Scott was honestly driving as slowly as he could. He had the six wheelers on too. He didn't understand why this was happening. He was about to ask SAM, but SAM seemed to beat him to it.

 

"Ryder, my sensors tell me that the wind outside has suddenly picked up. You may want to be careful, as I suspect an oncoming blizzard. I also advise that you drive carefully, as it is strong enough to knock even the Nomad off the cliff."

 

That...Was definitely unsettling. Scott gulped and muttered a quick "Thanks" to SAM, before trying to double his attention to the road, if that was even possible. For once, he actually felt...Kind of scared...He didn't like this. And with no way to avoid it, all they could do was push through and hope they didn't get blown off the edge.

 

They drove in silence, Liam occasionally trying to calm himself down by humming, and Peebee commenting on the condition outside. Both stopped though when they realised it wasn't making them feel any better. They eventually made it to a forward station point, and they would have been home free and safe, if the wind hadn't suddenly picked up again before it could land, and knock them off the edge finally. As if it had been just waiting to that to fuck them over.

 

The last thing Scott heard was screaming, SAM telling them that they had fallen off the cliff, and their chances of survival, then darkness claimed him, and suddenly, he wasn't so scared anymore.


	2. Stuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott wakes up cold, bleeding, and confused. His friends are understandably, pissed and worried.
> 
>  
> 
> (Author's note: Warning for this chapter! People may find it a little graphic! I'm trying my best with this, so it may not be completely accurate, but when is anything ever completely accurate in writing? Enjoy!)

"...-yder! Ryder are you-..."

 

'Five more minutes' was all Scott could think. His head hurt really bad...What happened...? Was he back on the Nexus with a killer hangover after trying one of those weird drinks from their makeshift bar? No...It was too cold...Far too cold...

 

"Oh god- Liam! He isn-....Too much bl-"

 

What was he not doing...? And what was there too much of...? He could probably pay better attention if he wanted to, but he was just so tired...Like when Tann is yelling at him for something, and he doesn't feel like listening to him. A part of him is trying to will himself back to sleep, but another part is telling him to wake up. He isn't safe. He doesn't know why he isn't safe. He can hear his friends...They would protect him, right?

 

"We'll get you out of here, Scott. Don't worry..."

 

His name...Liam said his name. Liam never said his first name. Not often, anyway. Something must definitely be wrong...He finally decided he should probably listen to him...So with the last of his willpower, he forced his eyes to open.

 

The moment he did, he regretted it. Everything was bright. Too bright. Blurry too. His head hurt so fucking bad. His side too. He couldn't stop the pained gasp from escaping his lips, and he thought maybe that was the only sound he would make until he felt pulling, and a scream tore itself out of him instead.

 

He heard screams of fright in response, then he felt someone cupping his face in their hands. He hadn't even realised he had closed his eyes until someone was telling him to open them, and tears slipped out from the corners. Peebee was crouched in front of him, her expression full of fear and concern. He could see Liam out of the corner of his eye, frantically trying to cut something to the side of him. He was about to ask what was going on when he felt the pulling again, and he screamed once more. His throat was starting to hurt...

 

"Stop it! Liam stop it! You're hurting him!"

 

"Well if we don't get him out of there, it's going to hurt a hell of a lot more! If we're going to stop him from fucking dying, we need to cut him out!"

 

Scott half listened to their arguement. From what he could pay attention to over the searing pain overwhelming his senses, he was stuck in something. Or...Something was stuck in him? He looked down at his side, where the pain was the most intense, and he almost wished he hadn't. His lap and seat was covered in so much blood...He was covered in shards of glass too. Thankfully his suit had atleast protected him from that. Just that sight alone made him feel sick. But when he finally saw the sheet of metal that had sliced right through his suit and into his body, he started to gag. Peebee grabbed his head again and forced him to look away. She didn't want him to be sick. Not right now. Now was a horrible time.

 

"Liam, there's gotta be something we can do!"

 

"We either have to rip it out of him and risk making it worse, or cut away half the damn Nomad!"

 

Scott squeezed his eyes shut to try and regain his bearings. Once he felt he had, atleast as much as he could, he looked around. He looked to his left, and saw that they passenger's seat was a pile of rubble. When he then turned his gaze to the rearview mirror, he could see the backseat. It was battered, but not as bad as the front...Thank god for the others listening to him when he enforced his rule of no one up front but him. It had saved their lives.

 

He didn't feel like talking. His head felt too heavy. He was breathing too hard, trying to deal with the pain. He felt sick. No, he couldn't talk. But he could try to vaguely gesture. He reached up and weakly gripped Peebee's arm. When she looked at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears, he pulled her arm to his side of the car, hoping she understood that he wanted her and Liam to move. She did, god bless her, and told Liam that too. Liam was more reluctant, but did so after Scott looked at him.

 

Once they were finally out of the way, Scott aimed his left arm to his side. He had an idea. He had used his biotics, specifically shockwave, to clear debris and the such before, so perhaps he could do so again.

 

It was going to be dangerous, considering how weak he currently was and how much blood he had lost, but he didn't have much choice either, so it was a risk he would have to take. Without a warning, he used it, blasting away half the car. Still, it got him an exit to be pulled out of, and he heard Liam laugh in disbelief whilst Peebee ordered him to start pulling Scott out with her. He had a feeling it was going to hurt, since he was trapped in a pretty tight spot with something going right through him, so be braced himself.

 

Like he predicted, it hurt like a bitch, but all he could muster was a particularly loud groan. He felt too weak. When he was finally out and felt himself be laid down on the ground, he couldn't keep himself awake any longer. He was in too much pain. He felt so tired. He just wanted to sleep...Preferably forever...

 

"Liam. Liam his eyes are closing!"

 

He could hear Peebee yelling again. Why did she always yell? It made his head sore...It'd be easier if she just stayed quiet...Apparently though, that wasn't going to happen. And he wasn't allowed to sleep, because the next thing he knew, Liam was 'gently' slapping his cheek to keep him awake. Scott felt annoyed by that, and decided to just stay awake instead of getting hit every time he tried to sleep.

 

"We have to close his wound...O-Or atleast cover it...Dammit, he's going to die if we don't do something! SAM, you there yet? We need you!"

 

Scott listened as Liam begged SAM to come online, and it took a few seconds of static, bit eventually he did. Scott whimpered when a loud voice suddenly started speaking in his head, and he tried to cover his ears, to block it out, but the movement caused his side to pull once again, and he sucked in a breath through his teeth, going to wrap his arm around it again. He felt so cold, but his wound was warm...With his blood...Not good. Definitely not good.

 

"Liam. Scott has an injury located on the left side of his waist. I reccomend checking how deep it is, before disenfecting, sewing it up, and wrapping it with a bandage."

 

"We don't really have that option right now, SAM!"

 

Peebee's annoyed voice echoed throughout...Wherever they were. A cave? SAM didn't answer straight away. Perhaps recalculating his response. He reappeared soon though, and spoke again. The advice he brought though...Wasn't exactly something they were thrilled about.

 

"With the lack of medical supplies, I instead reccomend cauterizing the wound for now. It'll close it for the time being and stop the bleeding, however it will still be prone to infection, and will be extremely painful to administer."

 

Everyone was silent again after that, until Liam spoke up.

 

"...I'll do it. Peebee doesn't have that skill, and Ryder's too out of it and too weak to do it himself. Peebee...I need you to hold him down...This isn't going to be pretty..."

 

Oh. Great. His best friend was going to be setting fire to his flesh. And his other best friend was going to be pinning him down. Despite their assumptions, he was aware. Well, as aware as he could be, as to what they were about to do. He had no strength to protest though, or fight back, so he reluctantly allowed himself to be straddled, and have his legs and arms pinned down.

 

Liam muttered an apology, before allowing his omni-tool to light up with fire. Scott's heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest, especially when he could feel the flames getting closer to him. The moment they actually touched him though, he started screaming, louder than he ever had before. It was agony. Oh god it hurt so fucking bad. Even worse than before. Atleast before he felt semi-numb. He tried to writhe. To get away from the evil flame and the pain it brought with it, but he couldn't move. Peebee looked like she was struggling to keep him down though. He was bigger than her, and adrenaline was rushing through his body now. But she managed to keep him down.

 

It felt like it went on forever. And when it  _was_ finally done, the only sound Scott could manage was a broken sob. What had went wrong? They were so close to going home, then they were knocked down a damn mountain and here they were. He couldn't stay awake anymore, and this time, he welcomed the darkness that was edging itself into his vision. Blissful unawareness. The others allowed it this time too. They didn't object when he suddenly went limp and silent.


	3. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People are arguing, theres no contact with the Tempest, and Scott just wants to go home.

When Scott woke up for the...What, second time now? It was to Peebee and Liam arguing. Lovely.

 

It wasn't as if it was anything new, and given the situation, he couldn't blame them. But he just wished they would stop. His head still hurt...But, atleast he was warm now. He could hear the crackling of a fire beside him. Thank god for Vetra insisting that they always have an emergency fire starter pack with them. And blankets. Blankets are good too.

 

He didn't bother showing he was awake at first. He honestly didn't want to move. But he knew now he was awake, he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Plus, he just wanted them to stop arguing. So he figured intervening himself would get them to stop.

 

He started to sit up, figuring it would be easier to see him if he did. But the moment he even got half way up, he felt a sharp pain shoot right up his right side, and he gasped, collapsing back down onto his back. So, he couldn't move either...Great. Just great.

 

Atleast Peebee and Liam were quiet now, and he heard someone walk over. Once they were in his field of vision, he saw that it was Liam. Liam crouched down beside him, and placed a hand on shoulder in a comforting gesture.

 

"Don't move for now. Just relax. And...We're Glad to have you back with us. Seriously, you scared us...Again. You have got to stop nearly dying. It's not good for the baby."

 

Scott couldn't help but chuckle, even if it did hurt to do so. And he raised an eyebrow before responding to Liam.

 

"What baby?"

 

"Me."

 

Scott would have broken out into full laughter then, if not for the pain in his body reminding him that that was probably a bad thing to do. He instead settled for a grin, and he pushed himself up onto his elbows so that he could see Peebee. That didn't hurt as much.

 

Peebee was looking over, and she smiled when her and Scott made eye contact. She was...Uncharacteristically quiet. That wasn't like her. Scott was worried, so he called her out on it.

 

"Hey...You doing okay? Did you hit your head?"

 

It was then that he realised that they had also fallen with him. Of course he had knew that before, but it hadn't really sunk in. Now that he was more aware of himself and his surroundings, he felt ready to go mother hen on his friends. Lexi must have been really rubbing off on him...He looked between Peebee and Liam, his casual expression turning to one of fear.

 

"Are the both of you okay? You didn't get too hurt, did you? Anything broken?"

 

Apparently Peebee found his fretting amusing, and she finally spoke up.

 

"You're asking us, when you were literally bleeding out just a a few hours ago?"

 

Not the response Scott was looking for, but it did make him feel a little sheepish. Thankfully Liam took pity on him though, and chuckled, shaking his head.

 

"We're fine. Just a few bumps and bruises."

 

Scott finally let out a breath of relief, and he was able to smile again.

 

"Good...You had me worried there."

 

Both Peebee and Liam started laughing then. Why did they laugh every time he showed his concern? It wasn't as if him worrying about his friends was anything new. Lexi usually said he was almost as bad as her. She was just the professional.

 

Maybe it had something to do with him nearly dying...Okay, that was probably it. They found it ironic that the person who was literally almost dead, was worrying over a few scrapes.

 

Scott started to pout then, before sticking his tongue out at them.

 

"Asses."

 

The laughter died down eventually, and they were left in companionable silence. Scott started to get bored eventually though, and he was curious about why they had been arguing in the first place...So he asked.

 

"So, care to explain what the yelling was about? You woke me up from my beauty sleep."

 

He added the joke to try and keep it as casual as he could. He hated it when things got too serious. Things never ended well when they did.

 

Both were reluctant to answer, but eventually, and surprisingly, Peebee was the one who answered his question.

 

"Well, after you passed out, we started checking out the nomad. To see if it was salvageable. SAM...Said it isn't...We have no way off of Voeld until we get to the surface again."

 

That was not good. Liam continued after Peebee stopped talking. But he sounded annoyed.

 

"Peebee...Wanted to leave soon. But I kept trying to tell her that with the condition you're in, you can't. It'll either make you worse or kill you."

 

That was also a good point. But honestly, Scott kind of agreed with both of them. They did need to leave soon, but if he pushed himself, it could have horrible consequences. 

 

He didn't answer right away, thinking it over himself. He didn't want to leave it too long incase they started to argue again, and he finally came to a conclusion.

 

"Both of you are right. If we want contact with the Tempest, we have to get out of here soon. But too soon is risky. So...We'll leave the day after tomorrow. We need to watch our rations too. Any objections?"

 

Both shook their head, but both also didn't look particularly happy. Still, it would do for now. And it gave them some time to think it out properly.

 

Scott just hoped they had enough time. Truthfully, since he woke up, he had felt horrible. Sure, that would obviously be normal. Especially since they had no medical equipment here, but something still didn't feel right...Maybe he'd feel better in the morning. He hoped so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter, done! I'm aware it's not the best, but I'm grateful for everyone that's read it so far!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> How do you feel about them having to fight something at some point? ;^)


	4. Well, shit.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't really get any better from here on out for our team.
> 
> (Author's note: I am so sorry for being gone for so long! I've been wanting to update, but just really struggled! So I'm gonna attempt here!)

Liam insisted that they rest for a few more hours, and Scott agreed. Had they slept at all since they fell down here? Probably not. He had to argue with Liam and Peebee about that though. In the end, he made it an "order". They knew he was joking mostly with that, but he was also serious too. He didn't want them exhausting themselves on his account. He would be fine for a couple of hours.

 

Surprisingly, Liam snored. And Peebee moved around quite a lot in her sleep. Even shouted as couple of times! Which, truth be told, scared the shit out of Scott everytime she did it since it was so sudden, but something about his companions sleeping habits, he found endearing. They all had their own flaws. Even in sleep! Scott wondered if he did anything strange. No one had ever said something, so he wasn't sure.

 

He just mostly tended to the fire to keep themselves warm, although truth be told, Scott was still freezing. That was worrying, since he was covered in blankets, had heaters in his suit (Which had a big hole in it), and he was sitting as close to the fire as possible without getting burnt. He wanted to tell one of the others, but at the same time, didn't want to worry them further. He was sure that if he put his mind to it, he could recover in no time at all!

 

He managed to distract himself for a little while by reading some of the data that he had picked up on his scanner during their journey on Voeld, but it wasn't much. Just different minerals and snow. Nothing that really caught his attention.

 

He was getting restless now. And with his body feeling as numb as it was, surely walking around a little wouldn't hurt?

 

It took Scott some time to stand up, but once he was up he felt triumphant. He looked around himself, and saw three tunnels leading in different directions. Surely Peebee and Liam wouldn't mind him looking for a way out...? If he was back before they woke up, then what was the harm?

 

Walking was...Another problem he had to overcome. Every step felt like someone shooting him in the side. He contemplated just going back and sitting down, but he pressed on, and went through the middle tunnel.

 

There wasn't much to see. Ice was just everywhere. Of course, that was nothing new. Scott continued to stumble along, his breathing getting heavier by the minute as he tried to breathe through the pain. He really should just turn back...If he did, he could lie down again. That sounded good...So for once, he listened to his better instincts, and finally turned back around.

 

He didn't make it far. His luck decided to be the absolute worst then, and he hears cracking noises. He thought nothing of it at first, until he looked down and saw that they were coming from underneath his feet...Well, shit. Could today get any worse? Honestly, now that he had thought that, probably.

 

He tried not to move, and probably could have just used his jump jets to jump to safety, but they were still offline from the crash. So he was just left with hope, and a shit ton of bad luck.

 

After the cracking noises subsided, Scott took a deep breath and tried to take a step forward, but that seemed to be enough to cause the ice to break completely, and the next thing Scott new, he was falling, before landing with a hard thud on the ground. The impact sent pain shooting through his back and head, but it was more intense in his wound. He couldn't stop the scream of pain that ripped itself from his throat. No way Peebee and Liam hadn't heard that. They would be here any second now, about to berate him for trying to move around without one of them helping him.

 

Apparently though, his companions weren't the only ones attracted to the cavern he had fallen into by his screams. And as if things couldn't get any fucking worse, a bunch of Kett rounded the corner. Scott has just enough time to say "Oh fuck", before he was throwing up a barrier, and scrambling behind a rock for cover.

 

He didn't have any weapons on him right now! Just his biotics! And using them was a big risk. They drained him. And right now, he needed his strength. But it was either he use them, or die...He would just need to take the chance. Maybe Peebee and Liam would reach him before he had to use an overly powerful abilities.

 

He waited until they had to reload, before coming out from behind cover. When he had the opportunity, he peaked up over the rock, and threw a shockwave at them. It was just strong enough to knock them off of their feet, and disarm a few, but it wasn't enough to kill them. He would have to do more...

 

He ducked back down just in time, as one of the kett had gotten back on his feet and picked up his weapon again, shooting in Scott's general direction. He was breathing heavily now, hands shaking with adrenaline as he threw out shockwave after shockwave. He was starting to knock a few out one by one, but they were learning to dodge. There were still to many for him to take on.

 

Thankfully though, Liam and Peebee finally jumped down into the hole with him, yelling for him to stay down as they took care of the rest. And for the first time in his life, Scott thanked god for their amazing timing.

 

It didn't take long for them to take care of the rest of them. And once they were done, they all let out a collective sigh in relief. That relief was short lived though, as at the same time, Liam and Peebee screamed "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

 

Scott flinched a little at their sudden loudness and anger, but it wasn't misplaced. They were right to ask. What was he thinking? He was their pathfinder! Although none of them had came to mind at the time.

 

He reached up to rub the back of his neck as he chuckled nervously, and he shrugged.

 

"Thought I'd get a head start on getting out of here. Maybe leaving you two is part of my nefarious plan! Mwuhaha!"

 

He tried to lighten the mood much like he did earlier, but they weren't having it. They just kept looking at him, obvious unamused. Eventually though, Liam gave in, and walked over to help him up, grabbing Scott's arm and wrapping it around his shoulders, before pulling him up with him.

 

The movement caused Scott to hiss in pain, but he was atleast glad they were up. He really didn't feel good at all though...He had been feeling off ever since he woke up. Which was to be expected when one had a hole in their body that  _isn't_ meant to be there, but he couldn't get over the nagging feeling that perhaps it was an infection. The wound had had a piece of metal in it, wasn't cleaned before being burned shut, and who knows how long it had been open in the first place before he got attended to!

 

His stomach just wouldn't settle from the sudden shift in gravity at all, and he barely managed to warn Liam and push him away, falling back down to his knees before vomiting up what little he had eaten earlier that day. He could hear Liam and Peebee make sounds of disgust, and he would have made a quip on it if he weren't currently dry heaving.

 

Once he thought he was done, he groaned and used one arm to hold his stomach, as he turned over to sit back down. Moving hurt. He felt like he was on fire. And he just wanted to lie down. He just wanted to go home...Back to the Tempest...

 

No one said anything for a little bit, until Scott looked up at the both of them.

 

"So what now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this is really bad. I might need some time to get back into the swing of things "^^

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I'm so sorry for how bad this is, but it's currently 04:40, and I really need to learn to control myself,,,
> 
> I'll be adding more chapters soon! And if this is the first fic you've read of like, I hope you want to check out my other ones! Specifically "Once Upon A December" if you're interested in Dragon Age Inquisition!


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